California Firearm Safety Certificate (FSC) Practice Exam

Selecting to open the action and remove the cartridge or shell is the appropriate course of action if your firearm fails to fire when the trigger is pulled. This procedure is essential for ensuring safety, as there could be a misfire or a problem with the cartridge itself. Addressing the issue promptly minimizes the risk of a potential explosion or an unintended discharge.

By opening the action, you can visually inspect the chamber and determine whether a round is still present and whether it has failed to ignite properly. This careful and methodical approach prioritizes safety and helps prevent any accidents that may occur from leaving a potentially problematic round in the chamber.

The other choices present less safe methods; keeping the firearm aimed and pulling the trigger again could result in an accidental discharge, shaking the firearm is both dangerous and ineffective, and leaving the firearm for a few minutes could lead to dangerous conditions if the round was to fire unexpectedly.